# DTT vs. NET: when should I use discrete trial training or natural environment teaching?

> How each approach works, what the research says, and how to blend them in a session.

URL: https://theautismkit.com/guides/dtt-vs-net
By The Autism Kit team · Updated 2026-09-27

**Short answer:** Discrete trial training (DTT) teaches skills in short, structured trials with a clear instruction, response and consequence. Natural environment teaching (NET) teaches during play and daily routines, following the learner's interests. DTT is efficient for building new skills; NET helps skills generalize and stay meaningful. Many programs blend both.

**Key takeaways**
- **DTT**: structured trials, efficient for **new skills**.
- **NET**: teaching in **play and routines**, great for **generalization**.
- Research supports **both**, including **NDBIs**.
- Most learners do best with a **thoughtful blend**.

## How does DTT work?

Each trial has a clear instruction, the learner's response, a consequence (reinforcement or a correction), and a short pause. Trials are repeated to build fluency. DTT has a long research base in autism services.[1]

## How does NET work?

NET teaches during activities the learner already enjoys: asking for a turn on the swing, labeling colors while painting, following steps in a snack routine. Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) are an empirically supported family of approaches built on these ideas.[2]

## How do they compare?

|  | DTT | NET |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Setting | Table or structured space | Play, routines, community |
| Who leads | Mostly the adult | Shared; follows the learner's interest |
| Reinforcers | Often chosen by adult | Natural to the activity |
| Strengths | Many learning opportunities fast | Motivation and generalization |
| Watch for | Rigid, repetitive sessions | Fewer planned opportunities |

Both are part of the RBT 2026 training curriculum.[3]

## How do I blend them?

**Try:**
- Teach a new label with DTT, then practice it in play
- Short structured blocks between play
- Using the learner's interests in both
- Visual schedules so the session is predictable

**Skip:**
- Hours of table work without breaks
- Ignoring signs the learner wants to stop
- Play with no teaching plan

**Make the session predictable.** A visual schedule showing "table, then play" helps many learners move between structured and natural teaching with
  less stress.

**Assent in both.** Whichever method you use, watch for assent and withdrawal. See [What is assent in ABA?](https://theautismkit.com/guides/assent-in-aba)

## What can I do this week?

- [ ] Pick one DTT target and plan how to practice it in play
- [ ] Add a visual schedule to one session
- [ ] Ask caregivers where the skill could happen at home

## Common questions

### Is DTT outdated?

No. It's an evidence-based way to teach many skills. Concerns usually arise when it's used rigidly, for too long, or without attention to the learner's assent and interests.

### What's an NDBI?

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions combine behavioral teaching with developmental science, teaching in natural contexts with shared control between adult and child.

### How do I help DTT skills generalize?

Practice the same skills in play and routines, with different people and materials, and involve caregivers.

## Sources

1. Smith T. Discrete trial training in the treatment of autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1177/108835760101600204
2. Schreibman L, et al. Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions: empirically validated treatments for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2407-8
3. Behavior Analyst Certification Board: RBT 2026 40-hour training requirements and curriculum outline. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2026-RBT-40-Hour-Training-Curriculum-260313-a.pdf

General guidance, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Talk with your pediatrician or a developmental specialist about your child's care.